I was with Shaq at his home the day he retired. It was innovative for him to become the media and announce via social media that he was retiring.
Individuals who are out there to make transactions with pay-per-tweets, it's a turnoff for their fans, rightfully so.
We live in a social world now, and there's no denying the power that Twitter has yielded across all verticals. Sports is a perfect fit because fans are highly emotionally charged and things happen quick.
Governments can no longer control 100 percent of the story. Time and geographical boundaries disappear. In places like China and all over the Middle East, social-media outlets are being used to expose and hold accountable public officials that don't want to be held accountable for corruption and human rights abuses.
Instagram has become one of my favorite platforms because of its simplicity.
Bridging the virtual world with the physical word is really when social media channels come to life and the magic happens. Because whoever coined the term 'social media' didn't do us any favors. It's not really media. It's more like the telephone, less like the TV.
By providing memorable social media customer service, companies not only create deeper connections with consumers, but they glean valuable insights on how to improve their products or services.
We'll continue to see more and more brands integrate social causes, charitable components and environmental issues as underlying themes to their campaigns and messaging. Humans connect with humans after all, and brands are using this as a point of connection to engage with their audience, especially charity-minded Generation Y.
We don't like what we don't know or understand. Parents don't like the thought of their kids embracing social media because they don't fully understand the benefits and dangers.
